Art History 603 - Roman art: Poli, Id & Portrait

This course probes the construction of identity and its various expressions in the domestic architecture, wall painting and portraiture of the ancient Romans. We will examine the way the Roman house reflects notions of Romanness through its plan, orientation, and programs of the illusionistic frescoes; we will also study the rhetoric of Roman portraits, with particular attention to the representation of aristocrats and the imperial family. If time permits, we will also explore those of the Vestal Virgins, Rome's premier priestesses. For the early history of Roman art, particularly the Roman house and its decoration, we turn to the archaeological site and remains of Pompeii. For the period of the Empire, our attention will turn to Rome and the creation of the ideological portrait, male and female, and the way each was created and used to persuade the viewer of the value of particular cultural virtues.